Parabola Basketball

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In this activity, learners build mini-basketball courts and explore the laws of physics. Learners discover that everything you throw or shoot on earth travels in a parabola. Note: a drill is used in this activity, and is not included in the cost of materials. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$10 - $20 per student
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 18
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • 1 plastic bottle
  • 1 spoon
  • 1 baseboard, 18" x 1" x 1/2"
  • 1 dowel
  • 1 wood backboard, 2" x 2" square
  • 1 piece of wood, 4" x 1/2" x 1/4"
  • 1 piece of wood, any size to attach to spoon
  • 3 rubber bands
  • 1-3 pompons
  • paper for backboard
  • duct tape
  • hot glue gun
  • scissors
  • drill
  • drill bit, same size as dowel
  • hammer

Keywords

Subjects

  • Mathematics
    • Algebra
    • Geometry
      • Plane Geometry
  • Physical Sciences
    • Motion and Forces
      • Gravity
      • Momentum and Velocity
      • Acceleration
      • Projectile Motion
    • States of Matter
      • Gases
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Informal Categories

  • Arts and Crafts
  • Games
  • Sports and Exercise
  • Toys

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Watsonville Environmental Science Workshop

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Watsonville Environmental Science Workshop, 2011

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